(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new or improved throttle lever designed to provided improved throttle control characteristics. The improved throttle lever is particularly suitable for use in recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
The throttle opening of a snowmobile engine is typically controlled through a flexible bowden cable from a throttle lever that is pivotally mounted on the handlebars of the snowmobile adjacent the handgrip so that the throttle lever can be manipulated by the thumb of a hand whose fingers are wrapped around the handgrip. The throttle lever is moved against the spring return force of the throttle element in the engine to open the throttle to the desired degree, the force required usually increasing linearly with the distance through which the throttle lever has been moved. The throttle return spring must provide sufficient force to return the throttle element to the closed position when released under all normal operating conditions. Since in snowmobiles such normal conditions include icing conditions, it is necessary to use a comparatively strong spring force and as a result, in periods of prolonged operation of a vehicle, the operator's hand is subject to fatigue in holding the throttle lever in its opened condition.